Water wheel or motor



Jan. 30, 1934. NOLAN 1,945,373

WATER WHEEL OR MOTOR Filed Oct. 22. 1932 IN VEN TOR. fiezzzae/ck Nam/v BY m 2.2%,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNrrse STATES PATENT oFFIcE WATER WHEEL R MOTOR Frederick Nolan, Wichita, Kans.

Application October 22, 1932. Serial No. 639,036

1 Claim. (01. 25316.5)

This invention relates to improvements in similar roller bearings 17 running in an annular water wheels or motors. race 18 formed on a boss 19 on the base 1, the

The main object of my invention is to proapron 14 depending down over the margin of this vide a simple, efficient and powerful water wheel boss as shown. The aprons 14 of the hubs serve 5 or motor for generating power by the flow of to protect the bearings 16 and 17 from the water 60 water through the wheel. employed in running the motor.

Another object is to provide a water motor The hubs 7, 9 and 11 are freely journaled on including a plurality of wheels or rotor memthe shaft 2 whereas the hubs 8 and are keyed bers having alternately oppositely set blades and by keys to the shaft to turn therewith, the

10 the said wheels being alternately secured to and hubs being alternately free and tight on the shaft journaled freely on a supporting shaft whereby as shown and it will be understood that any numthey may rotate in opposite directions, the whole ber of hubs smaller or greater than the five herein being set on a supporting base and the freely shown and described may be employed as desired. rotating wheels being connected together and Water driven blades 21 are extended radially 15 suitably geared to the supporting shaft to aid outward from the hubs 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 and in driving the same. are angularly set or twisted as shown, the blades With these and other objects in view the inextended from the free hubs 7, 9 and 11 being vention resides in the novel construction and artwisted or set in one direction while those extendrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth and ed from the keyed hubs 8 and 10 are twisted 20 claimed, reference being had to the accompanyor set in the opposite direction. Surrounding ing drawing wherein: these blades 21 and secured to the outer ends Figure 1 is a side elevation of the water motor. thereof are annular drums or housings 22, the Figure 2 is an enlarged view similar to Figure upper margins 23 of which are flared outwardly 1 but a part of the gears, hubs, drums and base as shown to receive the lower margins of the 25 being shown in cross section and a part of the drums next above. The hubs, blades and drums frame being broken away. are thus assembled to form five individual wa- Figure 3 is a horizontal section along the line ter wheels or rotor members supported one above 3-3 in Figure 1. the other on the shaft 2. The free wheels includ- Referring now with more particularity to the ing the hubs 7, 9 and 11 are joined rigidly to- 30 drawing the motor comprises a suitable heavy gether by tie bars 24 secured at their upper base 1 in which is journalled at la the lower end and 'lower ends 25 and 26 to the upper and lower of a vertically extending supporting or drive wheels and secured at 27 intermediate their ends shaft 2 which is journaled at its upper end at 3 to the center wheel as shown, the said tie bars and extended through the top 4 of a supporting being spaced outwardly to clear the wheels se- 35 frame 5, the said top 4 being mounted and supcured to the shaft 2 by means of inwardly turned ported above the base 1 by vertical posts or legs legs 28 at their ends and blocks 29 at their cen- 6. A plurality of hubs '7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are ters. mounted on the shaft 2 one above the other and The upper wheel has an annular gear supportare slightly tapered from their lower to their ing ring 30 secured within the upper edge of its 10 upper ends as shown. At their undersides and drum 22 and an internal gear 31 is supported around their shaft receiving bores 12 the hubs above this upper wheel and concentrically therehave annular bearing races or tracks 13 which with by radially spaced legs 32 secured at 33 at terminate short of the outer and lower margins their ends to the ring and gear. A pinion 34 is of the hubs whereby depending annular and secured on the lower end of a shaft 35 journaled L5 marginal lips or aprons 14 are provided which at 36 through the top 4 and meshes with the are adapted to depend freely over the upper internal gear while a pinion 37 secured to the margins of the next hubs below as shown in upper end of the shaft 35 above the top 4 meshes Figure 2, this being the purpose of the tapered with a gear 38 secured on the shaft 2. form of the hubs aforesaid as will be under- In operation water is run or injected into the i0 stood. The upper ends of the hubs also have top of the motor and striking the blades 21 will recessed annular bearing races or tracks 15 cause the upper wheel to turn and will simultaadapted to register with the races 13 of the hubs neously be deflected in its course so that it will above and tapered roller bearings 16 or their strike the oppositely set blades of the next wheel equivalent are mounted in their mating recesses. below and rotate this wheel in the opposite direc- The lowermost hub 11 on the shaft 2 rests on tion. This action continues from top to bottom 110.;

of the wheel until the water escapes. The shaft 2 is thus driven directly by the wheels on the hubs 8 and 10 and through the gears 31, 34, 3'7 and 38 is driven at the same speed and in the same direction by the wheels on the hubs 7, 9 and 11. The ratio of these gears is of course correct to drive the shaft 2 as desired Power may be obtained or taken off from the motor through a pulley 39 on the upper end of the shaft 2 or a smaller power at higher speed may be obtained by using a pulley on the shaft as will be understood.

Further details of the use and option of my invention will be understood without further description at this point and while I haveherein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention it is understood that I may vary therefrom in minor structural details so asbest to construct a practical device for the purposes intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:'

In a water wheel structure, a base, a shaft journaled on the base, Water wheels mounted on the shaft, the end and alternate wheels being free on the shaft and the remainder secured on the shaft, a supporting frame including legs spacedvfrom the sides of the water wheels and an end spaced from one end wheel; a' gear supporting ring secured within one end water wheel, radially spaced legs secured to the gear supporting ring and extended endwise from the water wheel, an internal gear secured on the outer en'dsof the legs concentric with the shaft and water wheels and spaced outward from the latter, and co-acting gears on the said shaft and meshing with't'he said internal gear for driving the shaft;

FREDERICK NOLAN. 

